ALASKA FISHERY AND FUR-SEAL INDUSTRIES, 193 3 265 



waters. In the fiscal year ended June 30, 19;)8, only one sucli i)rivate 

 salmon hatchery was operated — that of the Northwe.stern Fisheries 

 Co. at Hu<rh Smith Lake — and the rebate due on the ■22,17;),950 

 red-salmon fry liberated there during the year amounted to $8,809. 



GENERAL STATISTICS OF THE FISHERIES 



The total number of persons engaged in the fisheries of Alaska 

 in 1933 was 21,095, or 1,573 more than in 1932. Fishery products 

 were valued at $32,126,588, an increase of $7,097,608, or 28 percent 

 over the preceding year. Of the total amount, 91.5 percent repre- 

 sented the value of salmon products; 4.4 percent herring; 2.3 percent 

 halibut; and 1.8 percent the value of all other fishery products. 



SALMON 



An outstanding feature of the salmon runs in Alaska in 1933 was 

 the unusual abundance of red salmon in the Bristol Bay region, par- 

 ticularly in the Kvichak-Naknek section. Although the fish were of 

 smaller size than they are in some years, they were present in such 

 enormous numbers that a larger pack was put up in the western 

 district than for any previous year except 1918. Most of the packers 

 had filled all their cans and discontinued operations before the close 

 of the fishing season. 



In the various red-salmon regions of central Alaska the runs in 

 general were fair, while in southeast Alaska the number of red 

 salmon was considerably below average. The runs of the other 

 species of salmon throughout the Territory as a whole were about 

 normal. 



The total catch of salmon increased approximately 8 percent over 

 that for 1932. By districts, southeastern Alaska and western Alaska 

 showed gains of 4 percent and 28 percent, respectively, while in 

 central Alaska the catch decreased about 2 percent. 



There was an increase of 37 percent for the whole of Alaska in the 

 number of fathoms of seines used, 13 percent in the number of 

 fathoms of gill nets, and about 17 percent in the number of traps, as 

 compared with those in operation in 1932. 



CATCH AND APPARATUS 



The total number of seines used in the salmon industry in 1933 

 was 491. of which 389 w^ere purse seines and 102 beach seines. The 

 purse seines aggi'egat-ed 59,345 fathoms of webbing, and the beach 

 seines 10,102 fathoms. The number of gill nets used was 3,282, 

 having a total length of 223,000 fathoms. There were 139 driven 

 and 201 floating traps — a total of 400. 



Soutlieastern Alaska was accredited with 324 seines, or a total of 

 52,275 fathoms, an increase of 131 seines and 17.820 fathoms of 

 webbing from the number used in 1932; also with 265 gill nets, 

 aggregating 24,025 fathoms, an increase of 107 nets and 12,500 

 fathoms of webbing; and with 19 driven and 242 floating traps, a 

 decrease of 3 driven and an increase of 71 floating traps, as compared 

 witli the number operated in 1932. 



Corresponding figures for central Alaska show 158 seines, or 15,632 

 fathoms, as compared with 134 seines, or 15,520 fathoms, in 1932; 



